With 103 cases, Jaipur races to contain Covid

JAIPUR : Rajasthan authorities have identified a locality in the state capital, which they have called the “epicentre” of the infection in the city that has recorded 103 positive cases.

A 45-year-old Oman returnee from Ramganj area had violated home quarantine norms and travelled in a state bus, said authorities. On March 26, 14 days since his return, he had fallen ill and his test results came back positive. But by the time he had infected at least 90 relatives and friends, who, in turn, have put many others at risk.

While the man has been isolated at SMS Hospital, the district authorities are racing against time to trace, test and isolate others who he may have come in contact with. Jaipur’s chief medical and health officer, Dr Narrottam Sharma, said the entire 260,000 population of Ramganj is at risk and being screened.

Jaipur collector Jogaram, who uses only his first name, said over 1,000 teams of health workers have fanned out across the district and going door-todoor to screen the population.

Rajasthan earlier had a hot spot in Bhilwara city south of Jaipur, where 11 of the 27 positive cases have recovered and not a single case has been reported in the past few days.

Jogaram said around 1,850 people in Jaipur are in home quarantine and around 460 in institutional quarantine and isolation centres.

However, in a new worry for the authorities, three cases have been reported from outside the walled city area on Monday, one each from Bhatta Basti, Lal Kothi and Adarsh Nagar areas. Jaipur collector Jogaram said curfew has been imposed in all three areas. On Tuesday, Dr Jogaram issued orders warning of action against those who resisted testing despite having symptoms or had been in contact with an infected person.